Heavy rain is forecast on the museum tour day, with some wind that might mean a fetch on the very open end of east Red Lake.
With the power trim engaged, the 21’ deep hulled aluminum boat, with a four-stroke, 225 Yamaha outboard, planes and quickly heads west towards First, Wolf and West Narrows. It is a vintage 1980 craft (#280 in the production series) made in Riverton, Manitoba, home of Philadelphia Flyers’ Reggie Leach, known historically as the “Rifleman.” Brian-“Batman” expertly points us safely west. More to come on his moniker.
We are headed towards a museum on an island-it is the backwaters, not roads, different?
Although there is no charge to visit this uniquely located museum, it’s all about “the” gold. As a highly prized commodity, it has been financially monitored for more than 800 years.
Among a myriad of islands, we eventually glide into the dock and there it is, a welcoming sign, certainly out of the way – “Come take a look!” The exclamation mark is warranted.
I know this will be special. There’s a mammoth glacial erratic called “Erotica” in the background; a selfie is in order. There are no physical windows in this open-air restored cabin. The stunning large framed black and white photos are compelling. It is the West Red Lake Mining Museum, and there is an experiential tour, by boat, “to boot,” it is different alright.
Red Lake
Ontario had a Klondike-like gold rush when thousands of seekers stampeded; by any available means, to stake their fortune in an isolated area. Cobalt had experienced the same in 1905, with silver, but there was a railway to get there.
Not so here. Most came by dogsled, by horse-drawn sleighs, by primitive snow machines before they broke down, by foot, by early flying boats, and in the spring on anything that would float.
At the time of the original prospecting, it was a slog to get here. One would disembark the CNR in Sioux Lookout (Hudson) and travel northwest using the immense Lac Seul, then through a series of lakes, using the English and Chukuni Rivers to the Red Lake area. Depending on the mode of travel it was 217 - 390 kilometres (135 - 190 miles).
It was the last of its kind in Canada largely because the technological innovations pioneered during the 1925/26 Red Lake gold rush made such primitive mass movement unnecessary.
The west end of Red Lake is different than the Town of Red Lake ( Balmertown, Cochenour, McKenzie Island and Madsen/Starratt Olsen, five miles (8 km) to the east. The original gold rush in the Red Lake area centered around the west end but by the late 1930’s, attention had shifted to the Town of Red Lake.
The western extremity and museum/tour hold many stories of young men seeking adventure, characters escaping the outside world and pioneers building a new life.
And before that, a much longer history. First Nations peoples have lived here for thousands of years.
You have to remember that at that time and now, West Red Lake is positioned way up in the province latitude 51 degrees close to the Manitoba border, -94 degrees west. It’s at the end of the road – Highway 105 (established in 1947), 173.7 km / 107.9 miles from Vermilion Bay. Highway 105 is the second most northern King's Highway in the province. The highway had been envisioned in the 1930s when the Red Lake Gold Rush was at its peak. The amount of gold found in Red Lake far exceeded what most prospectors and geologists had first suspected, it was an international phenomenon.
The need for a new highway to the area was needed but the remoteness of Red Lake combined with the Ontario Government's Depression-era finances, the road seemed unfeasible, miners and their families were connected to the outside world only by airplane and canoe. But that’s how we get there today.
The duo
To commemorate all of this there is one of the most interesting-site museums anywhere, on an island in West Red Lake where the 16’ X 48’ round log museum is the initial focal point. A self-guided tour takes you to places where 'what was.'
How did this come about?
They are not Batman and Robin, but they are a dynamic duo when it comes to heritage appreciation and preservation.
Brian Kreviazuk and Enid Carlson are front and centre about the evolution of this unique heritage museum and the self-guided tour. They don’t wear capes, but they are crusaders. They wear community pride and perseverance on their sleeves. Along with other volunteers, they roll them up and get to work, and it shows.
Back Roads Bill recently partook in their hospitality and extraordinary heritage appreciation.
Brian is most likely Batman just because the entire project was his concept (2005) and continues to be the avocation of volunteers under the guidance of the longtime resident and former hardware store owner.
“There was no light bulb, it just happened. I just love our mining heritage,” he says.
He doesn’t have to twist arms the community responds with the ask(s).
He explained, “The log building is actually an original cabin from the 1926 Gold Rush to Red Lake which was the third largest in the world. The cabin was formerly located at Bow Narrows Camp and was moved to the current site when the concept of the museum was first broached about seven years ago. Only one story of the original two-story structure was re-erected at the museum site.”
Consider watching the 2:53 minute video on how the museum came to be. It epitomizes the work ethic within a collective community spirit. “Countless hours, sweat and toil and a barge.”
Brian said, “The museum location was originally the home site of Bill Brown, Red Lake's first postmaster. He is buried on an island in front of the museum. If you look carefully you can see his headstone from your boat.
“Back in the 1920s and '30s the west end of Red Lake was a hive of activity with many small gold mines in the area. Eventually everyone moved to the east end of the lake where the town of Red Lake is now situated,” he said. “Almost none of the mines at the west end produced any gold while the ones at the east end were winners.”
He said It seems incredulous that the wilderness at the west end was once inhabited by hundreds of gold rush pioneers.
“It is nothing but trees and bays and islands today. About all that remains are the rock piles from the mines and a few corners of the old log cabins.”
There is also a large glacial erratic behind the museum that is a 'real stunner.' The size of a house, it is one of the largest boulders ever discovered from the glaciers that covered this area 10,000 years ago.
The museum is self-serving. It has no windows and doors, the large scale photos are on the walls, there’s a rock collection in the middle and a number of heritage items to be seen. It is open all year round and accessible only by boat, aircraft and snowmobile.
If Enid is Robin, she is a different type of sidekick. Fictional Robin always seems to say “Holy ______, Batman!”, filling in the blank with some word or phrase appropriate to the occasion. Enid has a longer and ongoing creed “If we are not having fun we’re not doing it,” straight forward talk and to the point. This is another reason this museum thrives. She is charge of the annual newsletter.
She said it is the framed 22” X 34” photos on the walls that attract your attention. The inventory continues to grow with discovery, now more than 150 old photographs and stories of life in the area back in the gold rush. Photos are changed from time to time so there is always something new to see.”
It is not so well known but Enid’s father-in-law, Art Carlson, one of the early pioneer prospectors and settlers from Sweden had the wherewithal to have a camera and capture the life and times of the era. These stills reflect upon the lifestyle of the day, a time capsule.
Enid said, “Recently we are seeing lots of increased interest and visits. Locals often take their guests up to the museum for a visit.” Logbook stats always top 500 per year. That’s impressive, it is a trek to the island and beyond.
She said, “Even in the winter people visit by snowmobile. West Red Lake Gold Mines has bought the Madsen Mine and they have big exploration stuff going on at the West end of Red Lake. This is making people more interested in mining history up here. We are up here in the upper reaches of northwestern Ontario, the Manitoba border is 100 km away.”
“This is not a regular museum which preserves artifacts. We are not official historians. This means we can use oral history and concentrate on the old time characters of the gold rush.”
The tour
At the time there were eight working mines in the West Red Lake, a community with general stores and a doctor, who also lived on an island.
You get a feel for the people who once lived and thrived here. It’s an interesting heritage tour by water. You match the signposts with the guide for orientation, it takes you back in time.
There are more than 25 sites to find, and the locations are increasing. Number Seven is the museum, the original building, moved to the site, was the home of bootlegger Johnnie Drawson, and thought to be a house of ill repute.
Many have drill rod posts with a number at the top, drilled into the lakeshore bedrock. The tour guide tells the stories of the people.
Number Six is Sam Yee’s Store. He was born in Canton, China, set up a laundry in Red Lake, went bankrupt and migrated to the west end of the lake. He was known to be superstitious. And fate has it, eventually drowned with his adopted son and most of his dog team in November of 1937.
Enid, says they continue to recover the oral history and community members come forward with the “people” stories. One of the fascinating stops (#21) is Pipestone Narrows. There are geologist’s initials carved into soapstone outcrop, dating back from an original survey in 1893. You will see D.B.D 1893 those of Dr. D.B. Dowling.
Beware of the poison ivy at stop #4. There is an almost intact lime kiln. The plant produced lime for the mines.
Frank Paishk’s cabin, stop number five is a favourite, as it still stands. First Nations’ gathered here for feasts. He was known to be a traditional drummer. As a trapper he lived here with his family and was a friend of Art Carlson.
You can still see the piled waste rock on the shoreline of the West Red Lake Mine, stop number 18. A 205-foot shaft was sunk here. It is now the camp of the Moniger family of Iowa City.
Here’s the map and the website - download the .pdf and newsletter. Contact Enid at [email protected] . You can boat from the Red Lake waterfront through the West Narrows or canoe/kayak from Black Bear Lodge.
They say, “This museum and tour is by the people of Red Lake for the people of Red Lake, it is our story.” And the dynamic duo mean it.
Next year will mark one hundred years of mining in the Red Lake area. Like the next episode of the crusaders they have some plans for something special, you will have to keep in contact with them on the back waters. Give them a LIKE on Facebook.
The anticipation for 2025 event is ever increasing like the price of gold which is approximately $2,577.98 (USD) per ounce (3,421.35 CAD). This place is golden.